The 2008 New York Times Travel Show Announces February 29 Travel Industry Conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

The New York Times Travel Show announced today the Trade Day schedule of seminars, workshops and a preview of the show floor for travel industry professionals attending on Friday, Feb. 29. This year’s keynote speaker for the Travel Industry Conference is Cheryl Hudak, Certified Travel Consultant (CTC), president and CEO, American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). The 2008 Trade Day is sponsored by leaders of the travel industry including Performance Media Group, producers of ModernAgent, Agent@Home and Vacation Agent Magazines. The New York Times Travel Show and the Travel Industry Conference will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Trade Day hours are from 2 to 7 p.m. Admission is for $20 ($30 at the door). March 1 and 2 the show is open to the public. For a complete schedule of seminars and to register online, please visit www.NYTimes.Com/travelshow. This year’s Travel Industry Conference features more than 45 top industry executives in discussions on various topics including home-based travel agencies, selling luxury travel, changes in travel technology and developing Web marketing. Special accredited workshops will be offered through Cruise Lines International Association and The Travel Institute. The Times also announced the Trade Advisory Board for the Travel Show. Eleven travel industry leaders have assisted in the ongoing development of the Travel Show as the preeminent North American travel event. The advisors, representing home and office-based travel agents, tour companies, cruise lines, technology and media, are: Jeff Drew, senior vice president of sales, Oceania Cruises Colleen Gillette, president, ASTA – Hudson Valley Chapter Lois M. Howes, president, ASTA – Long Island Chapter Barbara Jathas, president, ASTA – New York City Chapter Marc Kazlauskas, president, Insight Vacations Marie Latus, chapter director, National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA), Upstate New York Dinah Marzullo, director of advertising, Carnival Cruise Lines Nilda Pinales, chapter director, NACTA Nassau County and Suffolk County, Long Island, New York John Severini, partner, KDS Sales – Marketing and Business Solutions James Shillinglaw, editorial director, Performance Media Group Robert Whitley, president, U.S. Tour Operators Association Presented by American Express, The New York Times Travel Show is one of the largest trade and consumer travel shows in the country with more than 30,000 attendees and 500 exhibitors. The Travel Show offers on-site booking, special travel discounts and opportunities to win trips from leading airlines, cruise lines, resorts and tourism boards from around the world. New this year at the show is the Wedding and Honeymoon Pavilion, sponsored by The Knot, which will offer the latest trends and destination ideas for couples. Supporting sponsors are Greek National Tourism Organization, South African Tourism and Travel Alberta. NBC-4, GoNomad.com, MVP/NY, PlanetOut, Telemundo 47 and The Travel Channel are the media partners and national talk show host Stephanie Abrams is the radio partner. The industry sponsors are Africa Travel Association, Appalachian Mountain Club, ASTA, Caribbean Tourism Development Company, NACTA, NativeEnergy, OSSN, Pacific Asia Travel Association, Society of American Travel Writers, The Travel Institute, Travelsense.org and USTOA. SpaFinder is the Spa Pavilion sponsor. Consumer admission to the show is $15, with a $5 discount if tickets are purchased with an American Express Card. Children under 18 are admitted free. Show hours are Saturday, March 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For advance purchase of tickets to the show and a list of exhibitors please visit www.nytimes.com/travelshow. About The New York Times Company The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2007 revenues of $3.2 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment. COMPLETE TRADE DAY SCHEDULE – FRIDAY, FEB. 29 GUESTS AND TOPICS 7:30 a.m. Conference Registration Opens 8:30 – 10 a.m. Room 1 – WEB MARKETING WORKSHOP: Using Web 2.0 to Market Travel (CEU credits by The Travel Institute) Speaker: Mark Murphy, president, PMG Room 2 – PROFESSIONAL SELLING SKILLS (10 Credits toward CLIA, ACC and MCC) Speaker: Bernie Blomquist, manager – training development, Cruise Lines International Association Room 3 – TAKING YOUR HOME-BASED TRAVEL BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL Speaker: Gary Fee, president, Outside Sales Support Network 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Room 1 – TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: Gaining Tech Savvy for Increased Sales Moderator: Kate Rice, executive editor, Performance Media Group Speakers: Bob LaCroix, senior vice president, business planning and development, Trisept Solutions Joe Mazzarella, president and CEO, Travel Sciences, Inc. Mark Murphy, president, PMG Dan Westbrook, vice president – travel merchandising, Sabre Room 2 – SELLING CRUISES: Using Cruise Line Support Programs More Effectively Moderator: Theresa Norton Masek, editor in chief, Vacation Agent/Performance Media Group Speakers: Ken Muskat ACC, vice president – sales, Royal Caribbean International Clark Reber, director – sales planning and initiatives, Norwegian Cruise Lines Hans Rood, president, Hurtigruten Richard Sasso, president and CEO, MSC Cruises USA Karin Viera, vice president of sales – Eastern Region, Carnival Cruise Lines Room 3 – SELLING TRAVEL: Choosing and Growing the Right Niche for Your Agency Moderator: John Severini, partner, KDS Sales Speakers: Steve Cox, executive director, International Expeditions Jackie Friedman CTC, CTIE, general manager, Nexion, Inc. Steve Gorga, president/CEO, Travel Impressions Robert Tuchman, president and founder, TSE Sports and Entertainment Kevin Wright, president, World Religious Travel Association 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Room 1 – HOME-BASED AGENTS: Taking the Next Step to Success in Your Home-Based Travel Agency Business Moderator: James Shillinglaw, editorial director, Performance Media Group Speakers: Kate DeLosso CTC, DS, Travel Counsellors David Locke, independent affiliate, America's Vacation Center/American Express Roberta (Bobbie) Murphy, owner, Bobbie's Travel LLC and OSSN Chapter Director Stacy H. Small, president, Elite Travel International – a Virtuoso associate Room 2 – SELLING TOURS: The Art of Selling Tours and Package Vacations Moderator: John Severini, Partner, KDS Sales Speakers: Phillip Gordon, president and CEO, Globus Marc Kazlauskas, president, Insight Vacations Frank Marini, vice president – sales, Collette Vacations Nigel Osborne, executive vice president, Key Tours Navin Sawhney, senior vice president – sales and marketing, Tauck World Discovery Room 3 – MAKING MORE: Finding More Products to Boost Your Profits Moderator: Kate Rice, executive editor, Performance Media Group Speakers: John T. Peters CTIE, vice president – Travel Trade and Business Development, Endless Vacation Rentals Jennifer Stott, director of marketing – AdventureAgents Network, Gordon’s Guide Josanne Swain, vice president – sales and marketing, Farebuzz Room 4 – SECRETS OF A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL WEB SITE Presented by the Northeast Chapter – Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). As founder of the award-winning ReidsGuides.com, SATW member and travel expert Reid Bramblett will share ideas on improving travel web sites. 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. KEYNOTE LUNCHEON: A Travel Update from the Beltway Keynote Speaker: Cheryl Hudak CTC, president and CEO, ASTA 2 – 7:00 p.m. Show Floor Open for Travel Industry 2 – 3:00 p.m. Room 1 – TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS AND YOU! A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS! Speakers: Gail Goldberg, business development manager, Travel Impressions Sallie Rawlings, director of communications, Travel Impressions Room 2 – LEGAL: Tips to Protect Yourself from Legal Liability Travel attorney Jeffrey R. Miller of Modern Agent and Agent @ Home offers legal advice based on his knowledge of the industry to travel agents. Speaker: Jeff Miller, founder and principal, The Miller Travel Group Room 3 – MAKING MORE: The Sales Potential for EcoTourism Today Moderator: Navin Sawhney, senior vice president – sales and marketing, Tauck World Discovery Speakers: Richard Edwards, partner, NativeEnergy Susie Ellis, president, SpaFinder Elliot Friedman, division vice president – Travel Industry and Partnership Marketing, The Hertz Corporation Christine Mackay, co-founder and executive director, Crooked Trails Room 4 – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION – SATW MEMBERS ONLY Presented by the Northeast Chapter – Society of American Travel Writers 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. TRAVEL INDUSTRY OPENING RECEPTION This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com.